Ethnographic fieldnotes are a tool to organize different observations, types of analysis, emerging questions and reflections, as well as ideas for future action. Ethnographic fieldnotes are a useful tool to make sense of complex interactions and processes taking place in response to challenges such as climate change. They are structured, written observations done in physical and social proximity to a community or to the daily lives of a particular city. They can reflect not only the context in which a problem is being addressed and observed but also the links to citizens views. They can be a critical means to understand one’s positionality, as well as the routines, challenges and conditions in which communities face ecological and governance challenges.